British tourist dies in hotel fall

A British tourist has died in Mexico after falling from the top floor of a Cancun hotel, the Foreign Office has confirmed.

The spokesman said British embassy officials in Mexico were aware of the incident, but the name of the man, 34, would not be released until the next of kin had been informed.

Mexican police confirmed the dead person was a 34-year-old British man.

Police said he was seen having a "very forceful argument" with his girlfriend shortly before his death at 12.30pm (5.30pm GMT) on Thursday.

The man flew with Thomson from Manchester Airport and was part of a wedding party of 22 people. The woman, who has not been named, was being questioned as a witness in the case.

He fell from the top floor of the fourteen-floor five-star all-inclusive 569-room Riu Cancun hotel.

Antonia Salmeron, a spokeswoman for the attorney general's office in the state of Quintana Roo, where Cancun is located, said: "We don't know precisely what happened. The only thing that hotel employees and guards have said is that the couple had a very forceful argument.

"Shouting was heard in the room, and later, about 12.30pm (5.30pm GMT) there was a report that a man had fallen from the fourteenth floor."

Salmeron said police were investigating whether a scuffle had occurred in the room.

A spokeswoman for Thomson confirmed he was with a wedding party but said he was not the groom. She said: "Thomson would like to extend its deepest sympathies to the family and friends of the man concerned and we are currently working closely with the family and friends and the local authorities."